Closure latch



United States Patent 72 [memos AR A -um 3,206,240 9/1965 Roethel 292/216 1 m; 3,334,935 8/1967 Eddy 292/216 wigghw s, z d l, fl m k, M h, 3,367,699 2/1968 Leslie 292/216 2 AppL 726,973 3,432,198 3/1969 Connor 292/216 [22] 61 1968 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore g f C mutation Attorneys-E. W. Christen and Herbert Furman ssignee Genera rs 0 Detroit, Mich. a corporation of Delaware 5 CLOSURE LATCH nBSTRACT: A door lock includes a main frame mounting an 7 c m 5 Drawing. inverted fork bolt, main and secondary detents and a transfer link interconnecting the detents. The auxiliary frame mounts [52] 292/216 the outside operating member which is pivoted to an intermit- [511 m Eosc 3/06 tent member slidably connected to a locking lever. The out [50] Field otSearch 292/198, side operating member i connected to both the id ham (1)3 dle and inside handle. The main detent is engageable with the leading or outboard leg of the bolt while the secondary detent [56] References Cited is engageable with a bolt shoulder located on the body of the UNITED STATES PATENTS bolt generally diametrically opposite the shoulder on the lead- 3,20l,163 8/1965 Pickles 292/216 ing leg engaged by the main detent.

CLOSURE LATCH This invention relates to closure latches and more particularly to vehicle body door locks.-

One feature of this invention is that it provides a vehicle body door lock including an inverted pivoted fork bolt having a bolt throat defined by a pair of legs and having a shoulder on the outboard leg engageable by a detent so that the striker force and the restraining forceof the detent are applied to the same leg of the bolt. f

Another feature of this invention is that the lock includes a secondary detent engageable with a shoulder on the body of the bolt generally diametrically opposite to the surface on the outboard leg of the bolt engageable by the main detent. A further feature of this invention is that the main and secondary detents are interconnected by a link so that both detents must always be in proper relationship to the bolt before either detent can move into engagement with its respective bolt shoulder.

Yet another major feature of this invention is that the latching mechanism, which includes the main and secondary detents, the connecting link and the various pivots and springs for these members are all mounted on a main frame which can be assembled as a unit, and that the locking and unlatching mechanism, which includes an operating lever, intermittent and locking levers, remote levers, and various pivots and return springs for these members are all mounted on an auxiliary frame which is assembled as a unit to the main frame to complete the lock, whereby the lock basically includes two separate units which can be independently built and tested before being assembled.

These and other features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial sideelevational view of a vehicle body embodying a door lock according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially broken away view of the lock in unlocked condition with the bolt in latched position;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken away view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the bolt in unlatched position; and

FIG. 5 is a partially broken away perspective view.

Referring now to the drawings, a vehicle body designated generally includes a front'door l2 hinged at its forward edge 14 to the body for swinging movement between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown. Door 12 is held in closed position by a closure latch 16 according to this invention.

As shown in the drawings, the latch 16 includes a main frame or plate 18 which is adapted to abut the rear or free swinging wall of the door 12 and to be secured thereto by suitable bolts extending through the door wall and into tapped, extruded openings 20 of the frame. An auxiliary frame or plate 22 partially covers the frame 18 and is staked at 24 to an upper flange 26 of frame 18, staked at 28 to an inboard side flange 30 of frame 18, and staked at 32 to a lower flange 34 of the frame 18. v

A fork type bolt 36 is rotatably mounted on a pin 38 which extends between and is staked to the frames 18 and 22. A coil torsion spring 40 surrounds the pivot 38 and has one leg thereof slidably bearing against a headed pin 42 secured to the bolt and the other leg thereof hooked to a lateral tab 44 of frame 18 to continually bias the bolt clockwise toward its unlatched position, shown in FIG. 4. The bolt is located in this position against the action of the spring 40 by engagement of an edge 46 of the bolt with the tab 44.

The bolt includes a bolt throat defined by inboard and outboard legs 48 and 50. When the bolt is in latched position shown in FIG. 2, the shank of a headed striker pin 52 is received within the bolt throat. The striker pin is mounted on the adjacent pillar wall of the body and the head of the pin is trapped between a cam ramp 54 staked to the frame 22 and a rotary shoe 56. which is pivoted at 58 to the frame 22 and biased in a counterclockwise direction by a coil tension spring 60 hooked between the shoe and an apertured upper flange 62 of frame 22.

The bolt includes a main bolt shoulder 64 provided on the outboard leg 50 and a secondary shoulder 66 provided on the body of the bolt generally diametrically opposite the shoulder 64. When the bolt is in its fully latched position shown in FIG. 2 in engagement with the striker pin 52, a foot 68 of a main detent 70 engages the shoulder 64 to retain the bolt in this position. The detent 70is pivoted on pin 72 staked to the frames 18 and 22 and a coil torsion spring 74 surrounds the pin 72 and engages a notched tab 76 of the detent and a notched opening in the flange 26 to continually bias the detent clockwise about the pin 72.

The secondary detent 78 is pivoted on a pin 80 which extends between and is staked to the frames 18 and 22. A coil torsion spring 82 surrounds the pin 80 and has one leg thereof hooked within an opening in the flange 34 and the other bent leg 84 thereof engaging against a connecting or transfer link or member 86, to be described, to continually bias the secondary detent in a clockwise direction about the pin 80. The bookshaped foot 88 of the secondary detent engages the shoulder 66 of the bolt when the bolt is in intermediate latched position, not shown, which is slightly clockwise of the fully latched position shown. When the bolt is in fully latched position, the

foot 88 is always in a position to engage the shoulder 66 should the foot 68 of detent 70 for any reason be released from the shoulder 64.

The transfer link 86 is pivoted at 89 to the detent 78 and the upper end thereof includes a laterally inwardly extending tab 90 which overlies an arm 92 of the main detent 70. Further, the link 86 includes a closed slot 94 which slidably receives a headed pin 96 staked to the main frame 18 to limit lateral shifting movement of the link 86 relative to the frame 18.

The outside operating member 98 is pivoted at 100 to the frame 22 and is pivoted at 102 to an intermittent link or member 104. A coil torsion spring 106 surrounds the pivot 100 and has one leg thereof engaging a notched lateral tab 108 of frame 22 and the other leg thereof engaging a notched tab 110 of the intermittent member to continually bias the member 98 clockwise of pin 100 and normally hold it in engagement with a lateral tab 112 of plate 22.

An outside handle 114, FIG. 1, includes a push button mechanism 116 which shifts a rod 118 downwardly upon operation. Rod 118 is guided for movement by an extruded opening in a lateral flange 120 of frame 22 and normally engages a lateral flange 122 of the member 98. Upon depression of the push button mechanism 116, downward movement of rod 118 swings the operating member 98 counterclockwise about the pivot 100.

A locking lever 124 is pivoted at 126 to the frame 22 and a coil type overcenter spring 128 is hooked between the locking lever and an opening in the frame 22 to locate the locking lever in either its unlocked position as shown or its locked position, not shown, slightly clockwise of its position shown. The locking lever is located in unlocked position by engagement of a shoulder 130 with flange 62 and is located in its locked position by engagement of a shoulder 132 with a flange of frame 22. A depending foot of the locking lever includes a lateral tab 134 slidably received within a closed, generally elongated slot 136 of the intermittent member 104 to shift member 104 about pivot 102 upon movement of the locking lever.

When the locking lever is in unlocked position, as shown, member 104 is located as shown with a lateral flange 140 thereof overlying a lateral flange 142 of member 86. When the locking lever is in locked position, member 104' is pivoted counterclockwise of its position shown so that flange 140 no longer overlies flange 142.

Upon counterclockwise movement of member 98 by rod 118 as previously described, member 104 will be shifted downwardly and the engagement of flange 140 with flange 142 shifts the member 86 downwardly. Tab 90 engages arm 92 to swing the-main detent 70 counterclockwise about pin 72 to released position as the secondary detent 78 swings in the same direction to released position about pin 80 to move the foot 88 out of the path of the bolt shoulder 66. Spring 40 thereupon moves the bolt 36 to unlatched position, shown in FIG. 4.

The inside release means includes a conventional inside remote handle 144, FIG. 1, connected by a shiftable rod 146 to one leg of an inside remote bellcrank lever 148. Lever 148 is pivoted at 150 to a lateral flange 152 of the frame 22 and the other leg thereof underlies member 98 so as to swing this member counterclockwise upon operation of handle 144 and,

release the main detent 70 as previously described.

Automatic undogging and keyless locking are accomplished by the coaction of a lateral flange 154 on the intermittent member 104 and a lateral flange 156 on the main detent 70. When the intermittent member 104 is shifted to its uncoupled position, wherein flange 140 does not overlie flange 142, flange 154 is adjacent flange 156 and upon initial counterclockwise movement of the main detent when it engages leg 50, the engagement of flange 156 with flange 154 returns the intermittent member to its coupled position shown in FIG. 4. If the outside push button mechanism 116 is actuated before the door is closed, flange 154 is located below flange 156 so that no engagement can occur and member 104 remains in its uncoupled position.

The door lock of this invention has a high force-open strength which is achieved by inverting the fork bolt and locating the shoulder 64 on the outboard or leading leg 50 of the bolt. Consequently, the force of the striker pin 52 in a forceopen direction, or to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, is applied against the same leg to which the restraining force of the detent 70 is applied. Thus, the force applied by the striker pin 52 is split between the pivot pin 38 and the detent pivot 72 to prevent tearing of the pin 38 from the frame 18.

It will also be noted that the bolt includes a tab or shoulder 158 which engages the tab 44 to limit overtravel-of the bolt when the bolt moves to latched position.

It will be further noted that the door lock of this invention is arranged so that the latching mechanism which includes the main frame 18, the bolt 36, the detents 70 and 78, and the link 86 as well as the various springs and pivot pins, can be assembled as a unit and then tested. Likewise, the unlatching mechanism which includes the member 98, the intermittent member 104, the locking lever 124, the remote lever 148, the shoe 56 and the ramp 54 as well as the various pivot pins and springs, can be assembled as a unit with the auxiliary frame 22 and then tested. Thus, in effect, the latching mechanism can be built and tested as a unit, the unlatching mechanism can be built and tested as a unit, and then the two can be assembled to complete the door lock.

Thus, this invention provides an improved vehicle body door lock.

We claim:

1. In combination with a closure member and a body member, a closure latch comprising, a striker mounted on one member, a support frame mounted on the other member, an inverted bolt pivotally mounted on the support frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions and including a striker receiving bolt throat defined by a pair of spaced legs, a shoulder on the leading leg of the bolt with 2. The combination recited in claim 1 including a second.

shoulder on the bolt located generally diametrically opposite the first shoulder, and secondary. detent means pivotally mounted on the support frame and engageable with the second bolt shoulder to hold the bolt inintermediate latched" position.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 including a transfer link coupling the first and seconddetent means of for simultaneous movement to released position, the transfer link and the detent means being arranged in generally U-shape surrounding the .bolt, the transfer link providing the base of the U.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 including resilient means biasing the bolt to unlatched position and being anchored-on anabutrnent of the support frame, the leading leg of the bolt engaging the abutment to locate the bolt in unlatched position against the action of the resilient means, the bolt including an abutment engageable with the support frame abutment upon movement of the bolt to a position beyond the latched position to limit overtravel of the bolt.

5. In combination with a closure member and a body member, a closure latch comprising, a striker mounted on one member, a support frame mounted on the other member, an inverted bolt pivotally mounted on the support frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions and including a striker receiving bolt throat defined by a pair of spaced legs, a first shoulder on the leading leg of the bolt withdiametrically opposite the first shoulder, a secondary detent pivotally mounted on the support frame and engageable with the second bolt shoulder to hold the bolt in intermediate latched position, a transfer link pivotally and slidably mounted on the frame and having one end thereof pivoted to the secondary detent and the other leg thereof pivotally and slidably connected to the primary detent to simultaneously release the detent, the link and detents being arranged in U fashion surrounding the bolt, with the link forming the base of the U.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 including an operating lever pivoted to the support frame and operably connected to inside and outside release means, and an intermittent member pivoted to the operating member and movable independently thereto between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the transfer link.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein the operating member is located in generally parallel offset relationship to the secondary detent and the intermittent member is located in generally parallel offset relationship to the transfer link, and a locking lever pivotally mounted on the support frame for moving the intermittent member between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the transfer link. 

